Police: Brutal, unprovoked assault breaks man’s jaw

Police and witnesses in Columbus Recorder’s Court were puzzled Tuesday by the case of an abrupt and brutal assault with no apparent provocation or motivation.

The victim who lives in the 4700 block of Wellborn Drive testified he was out in his yard Thursday night when a former neighbor he hardly knew walked by and said, “Did you say something?” The victim said he replied, “No,” and went on about his business.

And then, seemingly out of nowhere, the passerby jumped him, beating him so badly about the head that he was left unconscious, his jaw broken in two places.

Neighbors heard the resident call for help, and summoned police.

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An officer testified police were on the scene when a woman across the street yelled, “There’s a man over here!” Children could be heard screaming, he said.

Police crossed the street to find 29-year-old Jonathan Davis with his shirt off, soaked in sweat, the officer said. Davis would not follow police orders to get down on the ground, and a struggle ensued when they tried to take him into custody, the officer testified.

At one point Davis got his foot up on the trunk of a police cruiser and pushed off with enough force to throw him and the officers holding him to the ground, the officer said. One officer was injured and was assigned to “light duty” for five days, he said.

Police were able to subdue Davis by applying ankle chains in addition to the handcuffs, and found that Davis had the victim’s wallet and cigarettes, he said.

The victim said he recognized Davis as having once lived across the street, but had not had any prior issues with him. The officer said the only other connection appeared to be that the victim had been working on a car that belonged to Davis’ former girlfriend.

Davis was charged with aggravated assault, robbery, felony police obstruction and misdemeanor disorderly conduct, the latter based on his yelling racial slurs and obscenities in front of children and other witnesses, police said.

Recorder’s Court Judge Mary Buckner set his bonds at $15,000 for assault, $7,500 for robbery and $2,500 for obstruction. She ordered him to serve 60 days and jail or pay a $500 fine for disorderly conduct.